Combined telegraph-key and spring-jack switch.



c. a. SCOLLARDQ COMBINED TELEGRAPH KEY AND SPRINGJACK SWITCH. APPLICATION FILE'D APR- 2} 1911.

1 ',42,%1. Patented, Oct. 2,;917.

Clememffi. ScoIIard 351 Z 2 mm,

CLEMENT BLSCOLLARD, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

COMBINED TELEGRAPH-KEY AND SPRING-JACK SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, ram.

Application filed April 2, 1917. Serial No. 159,370.

To all whom it may concern Be it lmown that I, CLEMENT B. SCOLLARD,

V citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Combined Telegraph-Keys and Spring-Jack Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in combined telegraph key and spring-jack switch, and the object of my invention is ,to provide a telegraph key and an electric switch of the spring-jack type combined to constitute a unitary structure whose operative parts shall be so associated, electrically and mechanically, that it shall be adapted normally to be operated to transmit telegrams by the well known mode of operation of standard telegraph keys heretofore made, and which shall be further adapted to serve as a spring-jack switch into which may be inserted at times required av spring-jack wedge of well known form to connect a loop circuit in series with the main circuit within which said unitarystructure is included, and which unitary structure shall have its parts so electrically associated that when said spring-jack wedge is so inserted, the telegraph key shallstill be adapted to be operated in the usual way to transmit intelligible signals over the resultant circuit.

I accomplish this object by devices illus trated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan. View of a combined telegraph key and spring-jack embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the same in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a spring-jack wedge which forms an operative part of my invention; and

Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal mid-section of said wedge on broken line 4, 4 of Fi 3. I

Beferring to the drawings, throughout which like reference numerals indicate like parts, 5 designates the metal base portion of a common form of telegraph key which is provided with oppositely disposed upwardly projecting lugs 6 and 7 through which extend adjustable pivot screws 8 and 9, respectively, which serve as pivotal supports for the trunnions 10 and 11 of a common form of telegraph key lever 12 that is provided with a key knob 13 on its front 7 end portion.

An adjustable limit screw 14 is operatively disposed to extend downwardly through the rearward end portion of the key lever 12'to engage its lower end with,

the top surface of the base portion 5 thereby to limit the upward movement of that end portion of the lever 12 upon which the key knob 13 is mounted.

Projecting downwardly from the under side of the key lever 12, at a point between the key knob 13 and the axes of the trunnions 10 and 11, is an electrical contact point 15 which by its position is adapted to 1 make an electrical contact with a fixed contact point 16 that'projects upwardly from a flanged metal stud 17 which is' fixed in the front end portion of the base portion 5 and which is insulated therefrom by a flanged bushing 18 of Vulcanized rubber in a well known manner.

Between theflange of the bushing 18 and the top surface of the base portion 5 is secured a bracket arm 19 which projects downwardly and rearwardly to serve as a support for the lower end of a coiled coinpression spring 20 whose upper end engages with the point of an adjusting screw 21 which is screwed downwardly through the key lever 12, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, by which adjusting screw 21 the spring 20 may be regulated to exert a desired upward pressure against the key lever 12, which pressure normally maintains the con tact points 15 and 16 in a separated relation to open the circuit within which the structure is included.

Between the flange of the metal stud 17 and the top end surface of the insulating bushing 18, is secured a switch contact member, of springy sheet metal, whose opposite end portions 22 and 23 project from opposite sides of said stud 17 as shown more clearly in Fig. 1, said end portions 22 and 23 thus being disposed parallel with and spaced from the top surface of the base portion 5, whereby the end portion 22 is adapted yieldingly to engage its under side sur face with the top surface of a switch arm 24 when said switch arm 24 is swung into the space between said end portion 22 and the top surface of said base portion 5.

One end portion of the switch arm 24 is pivotally attached to a binding post 25,

which is mounted on the rearward portion of the base portion 5 in metallic connection therewith where it serves as one electric terminal of the structure, and the other end portion of said switch armis provided with a knob 26 by which said switch arm may be manipulated to move it between its positions shown in full lines and by broken lines in Fig. 1, whereby the' circuit between thebinding post 25 and the stud 17 may be opened and closed in a well known manner.

Mounted on the rearward portion of the base portion 5, at a point opposite the binding post 25, is a binding post 27 that is insulated from said base portionfj by a bushing 28 of insulating material, and clamped between the top surface of said bushing 28 and the bottom surface of the binding post 27 is one end portion of a sheet metal spring 29 that extends forward normally to dispose its other end portion to rest upon and make an electrical connection with the top.

surface of the end portion 23 of the switch contact member.

To adapt the metal spring 29 to serve as a spring-jack member its forward end is curved upwardly thereby to facilitate the entrance, at times required, of a spring-jack wedge 30 of well known form, thereby forcibly to raise the spring 29 from its con tact with the end portion 23, as illustrated in Fig. 4%, thus electrically to connect the spring 29 with the member 31 of the wedge 30 and to connect the end portion 23 with the member 32 of said wedge 30, which members 31 and 32 are insulated from each other by a partition 33. a

The member 31 of the wedge 30 is connected to one end 3 of a loop circuit, and the member 32 is connected to the other end 35 of said loop circuit, of which loop circuit only the two end portions 36 and 37, respectively, are shown, and within which may be included any electrical translating device, as, for instance, a different form of transmitter, which translating device, when desired, may thus be included in the operative circuit to which the binding posts 25 and 27 are connected without interfering, in

any degree, with the normal effects of actuating the key lever 12 and the switch arm 24.

Obviously changes may be made in the forms and dimensions of parts of my inven tion without departing from a the spirit thereof.

l Vhat I claim is:

A combined telegraph key and springjack switch which embodies a metal base portion; an insulated metal stud provided with a contact point and fixed in the front portion of said base portion to project there,- from; a key-lever provided with a contact point and pivotally mounted on said base portion in a position to adapt it to be manipulated to cause its contact point to engage and disengage the contact point of said insulated metal stud; a spring-jack switch contact member disposed in metallic contact with said insulated stud to extend therefrom in a plane spaced from the top surface of said base portion; a spring-jack switch arm disposed with one of its end portions mounted upon and insulated from said base portion and with its other end portion in normal engagement with the top surface of said spring-jack switch contact member to form a spring-jack switch withinwhich may be inserted the spring-jack wedge of a loop circuit; and means for securing a circuit wire in electrical connection with said spring-jack switch arm.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my7name this 20th day of March, A. .D. 191

CLEMENT B. SOOLLARD.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. i 

